Mallory Ross is well on her way to a promising career in professional basketball. A member of Robert Morris University’s Sport Management Association, the sophomore hopes to land a position in NBA league development following graduation. By doing so she’ll be continuing her family’s tradition in the league: her father, Bob Ross, played for the Chicago Bulls 73-76; her great uncle, Josh Grider, was one of the Harlem Globetrotters.

How did you find out about the internship?
RMU has a great alumni system for sport management. Murray Cohn ’88, vice president for NBA team ticket sales, is actually a family friend. Last February at the Mt. Union Sports Sales Workshop in Cleveland, he introduced me to Danita Johnson, the director of sales with the Mystics.

What was your typical day like?
Each day was different, but mostly I helped with Mystics fan events, player events, and worked all the home games, too. I actually created a couple events myself during the summer. One was Women’s Inspire Night, which brought women entrepreneurs together to network. Another was Camp Day, where we invited local children’s camps to a Mystics day game.

What was the best thing you took away from the internship?
The knowledge I learned about the corporate world. You can only learn so much in school. When you get out in the real world, things are definitely different. You realize the importance of building strong relationships.

Do you play basketball too?
Yes. I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I also took a post-grad year at the IMG academy in Bradenton, Florida where I got to learn from NBA greats like Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat) and Glen Davis (Orlando Magic), and I even got to train with Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

What do you hope to do with your major?
I’d love to work in the league office, helping with domestic and international growth, particularly the NBA’s transition program, which helps players have productive lives after their careers are over.